Growth takes many shapes at Penn State’s Arboretum
GROWTH
Spring transforms Penn State’s Arboretum into a living canvas of color, life, and renewal. Yet growth here is not limited to the gardens alone. As new flowers bloom, so too does the Arboretum itself, expanding through major grants, the addition of new gardens, and the nearby relocation of the Palmer Museum of Art. This photo story captures the many shapes of growth—natural, architectural, and communal—that define the Arboretum’s evolving spirit.
As winter recedes, the Arboretum at Penn State stirs to life, promising a season of vibrant growth and transformation.
Several visitors walk the winding paths of the H.O. Smith Botanic Gardens at Penn State’s Arboretum on Saturday, April 19, 2025. The image captures a sweeping view of the gardens, showcasing the blend of designed landscapes, native plantings, and public art that make this space a hub for reflection, recreation, and environmental learning.
A view overlooking the Pollinator Plaza and Bird Garden at the H.O. Smith Botanic Gardens in Penn State’s Arboretum on Tuesday, April 29, 2025. While no visitors are visible, the image highlights the layered ecosystems supported by the Arboretum’s reflection ponds and native plantings—spaces designed to attract pollinators and support biodiversity.
NATURE’S REBIRTH
From delicate blossoms to busy pollinators, every corner of the Arboretum celebrates the arrival of spring.
A robin rests on the branch of a blossoming cherry tree in the H.O. Smith Botanic Gardens at Penn State’s Arboretum on Sunday, April 20, 2025. As one of the earliest signs of spring in Central Pennsylvania, the robin’s presence among the first blooms evokes the quiet return of warmth, color, and seasonal renewal.
Morning sunlight glints off freshly watered pansies in the H.O. Smith Botanic Gardens at Penn State’s Arboretum on Tuesday, April 29, 2025. The vibrant blossoms, still beaded with droplets, capture the delicate balance between natural beauty and daily care—an early spring moment where warmth and wetness coexist.
Honey bees fly in and out of a managed hive at the H.O. Smith Botanic Gardens in Penn State’s Arboretum on Saturday, April 19, 2025. Visible mid-flight, the bees are a vital part of the Arboretum’s expanding pollinator network, which supports ecosystem health through native plantings, bee hotels, and dedicated pollinator gardens.
A toad sings from the surface of the reflection pond in the H.O. Smith Botanic Gardens at Penn State’s Arboretum on Saturday, April 19, 2025. Its vibrating call sends ripples across the still water—a visual and auditory marker of spring’s return and a reminder of the Arboretum’s role in supporting native amphibian life.
BEHIND THE BEAUTY
The Arboretum’s beauty is the result of careful stewardship, with dedicated teams preparing the gardens for each new season.
Empty planters line a walkway in the H.O. Smith Botanic Gardens at Penn State’s Arboretum on Monday, April 14, 2025. Captured in the early hours before visitors arrive, the image highlights the behind-the-scenes labor and seasonal preparation that quietly shape the Arboretum’s beauty and rhythm.
An Arboretum staff member waters new plantings in a large planter beside a bench in the H.O. Smith Botanic Gardens at Penn State’s Arboretum on Tuesday, April 29, 2025. This routine act of care reflects the ongoing maintenance and attention that sustain the gardens’ seasonal beauty and provide a welcoming space for visitors to rest and reflect.
Sprinklers cast arcs of water across expansive flower beds in the H.O. Smith Botanic Gardens at Penn State’s Arboretum on Tuesday, April 29, 2025. This early morning ritual of irrigation reflects a broader truth: the quiet, consistent efforts at the start of each day lay the foundation for growth, resilience, and beauty throughout the season.
BUILDING THE FUTURE
As nature blooms, so too does the Arboretum itself—thanks to new grants and the addition of cultural spaces like the Palmer Museum.
A dump truck from R.C. Bowman and a “Pardon Our Mess” sign mark ongoing construction near the Oasis Garden and Lotus Pool in Penn State’s Arboretum on Tuesday, April 29, 2025. Though partially obscured by spring growth, the presence of equipment hints at the behind-the-scenes work required to support the Arboretum’s continued expansion—reminding visitors that growth often begins with disruption.
The new Palmer Museum of Art rises beyond the Event Lawn in Penn State’s Arboretum on Saturday, April 19, 2025. Now open to the public, the museum stands as a seamless extension of the Arboretum’s mission—pairing the cultivated beauty of nature with the creative beauty housed within, and inviting visitors to experience both in a single, unified setting.
HEART OF THE COMMUNITY
More than just a garden, the Arboretum is a living classroom, a gathering place, and a sanctuary for the Penn State and State College communities.
Students lounge on the Event Lawn at Penn State’s Arboretum on Sunday, April 20, 2025, reading, listening to music, and enjoying the spring sun. Surrounded by blooming gardens and open sky, the Arboretum offers a peaceful retreat from the bustle of campus—a welcoming green space where students can recharge and reconnect with the natural world.
Three students play a casual game of volleyball on the Event Lawn at Penn State’s Arboretum on Sunday, April 20, 2025. One player prepares to volley the ball as laughter and motion animate the space—reminding us that growth isn’t always quiet, but can also be found in moments of joy, connection, and shared energy beneath the open spring sky.
A student sits alone within the Ridge and Valley Sculpture at Penn State’s Arboretum on Sunday, April 20, 2025. Just steps away from the laughter and motion of the Event Lawn, this moment of stillness offers a quiet counterpoint—a reminder that the Arboretum holds space not only for connection, but also for solitude, reflection, and calm.
A three-generation family visits the reflection pond near the Pollinator Plaza in Penn State’s Arboretum on Saturday, April 19, 2025. The moment captures how nature invites wonder and connection across all ages—proving it’s never too early, or too late, to enjoy and learn from the world around us.
Jake Smith of the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources engages visitors during Earth Day celebrations in the Children’s Garden at Penn State’s Arboretum on Saturday, April 19, 2025. As he shares a bear skull with a small group, the moment embodies Penn State’s land-grant mission—bringing hands-on, science-based education to the broader public and deepening community connections to Pennsylvania’s natural heritage.
NEW SHOOTS
Growth doesn’t always announce itself. Sometimes, it looks like small hands reaching for soil—or a father offering stillness and care in the shade of cypress trees. In these quiet moments, the Arboretum reveals itself not just as a place of seasonal change, but as a space where life unfolds in every form, across every generation.
Two siblings explore a planting session in the Children’s Garden at Penn State’s Arboretum on Saturday, April 19, 2025. As the young girl stretches onto her tiptoes to peer into the soil, the moment becomes a quiet metaphor for growth—capturing the wonder of early curiosity and the promise of reaching new heights with time, care, and nurture.
A father cradles his infant among blooming tulips along the Joan Milius Smith Esplanade at Penn State’s Arboretum on Saturday, April 19, 2025. Surrounded by spring color and new life, the quiet moment reflects the essence of growth—not just in gardens, but in families, futures, and the bonds we nurture across generations.